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d carried ever since he had thrown up the certain prospect of being Fifth Sea Lord in order to take over the Secret Service。 M。 had got himself a problem。 Bond wondered what it was。 It would not be concerned with danger。 If M could get the odds more or less right he would risk anything； anywhere in the world。 It would not be political。 M did not give a damn for the susceptibilities of any Ministry and thought nothing of going behind their backs to get a personal ruling from the Prime Minister。 It might be moral。 It might be personal。 Bond said： 〃Is there anything I can help over； sir？〃
M looked briefly； thoughtfully at Bond； and then swivelled his chair so that he could look out of the window at the high summery clouds。 He said abruptly： 〃Do you remember the Havelock case？〃
〃Only what I read in the papers； sir。 Elderly couple in Jamaica。 The daughter came home one night and found them full of bullets。 There was some talk of gangsters from Havana。 The housekeeper said three men had called in a car。 She thought they might have been Cubans。 It turned out the car had been stolen。 A yacht had sailed from the local harbour that night。 But as far as I remember the police didn't get anywhere。 That's all； sir。 I haven't seen any signals passing on the case。〃
M said gruffly： 〃You wouldn't have。 They've been personal to me。 We weren't asked to handle the case。 Just happens；〃 M cleared his throat： this private use of the Service was on his conscience； 〃I knew the Havelocks。 Matter of fact I was best man at their wedding。 Malta。 Nineteen…twenty…five。〃
〃I see； sir。 That's bad。〃
M said shortly： 〃Nice people。 Anyway； I told Station C to look into it。 They didn't get anywhere with the Batista people； but we've got a good man with the other side … with this chap Castro。 And Castro's Intelligence people seem to have the Government pretty well penetrated。 I got the whole story a couple of weeks ago。 It boils down to the fact that a man called Hammerstein； or von Hammerstein； had the couple killed。 There are a lot of Germans well dug in in these banana republics。 They're Nazis who got out of the net at the end of the War。 This one's ex…Gestapo。 He got a job as head of Batista's Counter Intelligence。 Made a packet of money out of extortion and blackmail and protection。 He was set up for life until Castro's lot began to make headway。 He was one of the first to start easing himself out。 He cut one of his officers in on his loot； a man called Gonzales； and this man travelled around the Caribbean with a couple of gunmen to protect him and began salting away Hammerstein's money outside Cuba … put it in real estate and suchlike under nominees。 Only bought the best； but at top prices。 Hammerstein could afford them。 When money didn't work he'd use force … kidnap a child； burn down a few acres； anything to make the owner see reason。 Well； this man Hammerstein heard of the Havelocks' property； one of the best in Jamaica； and he told Gonzales to go and get it。 I suppose his orders were to kill the Havelocks if they wouldn't sell and then put pressure on the daughter。 There's a daughter； by the way。 Should be about twenty…five by now。 Never seen her myself。 Anyway； that's what happened。 They killed the Havelocks。 Then two weeks ago Batista sacked Hammerstein。 May have got to hear about one of these jobs。 I don't know。 But； anyway； Hammerstein cleared out and took his little team of three with him。 Timed things pretty well； I should say。 It looks as if Castro may get in this winter if he keeps the pressure up。〃
Bond said softly： 〃Where have they gone to？〃
〃America。 Right up in the North of Vermont。 Up against the Canadian border。 Those sort of men like being close to frontiers。 Place called Echo Lake。 It's some kind of a millionaire's ranch he's rented。 Looks pretty from the photographs。 Tucked away in the mountains with this little lake in the grounds。 He's certainly chosen himself somewhere where he won't be troubled with visitors。〃
〃How did you get on to this； sir？〃
〃I sent a report of the whole case to Edgar Hoover。 He knew of the man。 I guessed he would。 He's had a lot of trouble with this gun…running from Miami to Castro。 And he's been interested in Havana ever since the big American gangster money started following the casinos there。 He said that Hammerstein and his party had e into the States on six months visitors' visas。 He was very helpful。 Wanted to know if I'd got enough to build up a case on。 Did I want these men extradited for trial in Jamaica？ I talked it over here with the Attorney General and he said there wasn't a hope unless we could get the witnesses from Havana。 There's no chance of that。 It was only through Castro's Intelligence that we even know as much as we do。 Officially the Cubans won't raise a finger。 Next； Hoover offered to have their visas revoked and get them on the move again。 I thanked him and said no； and we left it at that。〃
M sat for a moment in silence。 His pipe had died and he relit it。 He went on： 〃I decided to have a talk with our friends the Mounties。 I got on to the missioner on the scrambler。 He's never let me down yet。 He strayed one of his frontier patrol planes over the border and took a full aerial survey of this Echo Lake place。 Said that if I wanted any other co…operation he'd provide it。 And now；〃 M slowly swivelled his chair back square with the desk； 〃I've got to decide what to do next。〃
Now Bond realised why M was troubled； why he wanted someone else to make the decision。 Because these had been friends of M。 Because a personal element was involved； M had worked on the case by himself。 And now it had e to the point when justice ought to be done and these people brought to book。 But M was thinking： is this justice； or is it revenge？ No judge would take a murder case in which he had personally known the murdered person。 M wanted someone else； Bond； to deliver judgement。 There were no doubts in Bond's mind。 He didn't know the Havelocks or care who they were。 Hammerstein had operated the law of the jungle on two defenceless old people。 Since no other law was available； the law of the jungle should be visited upon Hammerstein。 In no other way could justice be done。 If it was revenge； it was the revenge of the munity。
Bond said： 〃I wouldn't hesitate for a minute； sir。 If foreign gangsters find they can get away with this kind of thing they'll decide the English are as soft as some other people seem to think we are。 This is a case for rough justice … an eye for an eye。〃
M went on looking at Bond。 He gave no encouragement； made no ment。
Bond said： 〃These people can't be hung； sir。 But they ought to be killed。〃
M's eyes ceased to focus on Bond。 For a moment they were blank； looking inward。 Then he slowly reached for the top drawer of his desk on the left…hand side； pulled it open and extracted a thin file without the usual title across it and without the top…secret red star。 He placed the file squarely in front of him and his hand rummaged again in the open drawer。 The hand brought out a rubber stamp and a red…ink pad。 M opened the pad； tamped the rubber stamp on it and then carefully； so that it was properly aligned with the top right…hand corner of the docket； pressed it down